


Oops!...I Did It Again

by theprincesjester



Series: If you'll be my bodyguard, I can be your long lost pal [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: (that's a lie. i love team sassy science too), (the answer to both is no), Gen, and all is good, at least one part to themselves, does it have to?, does it make sense?, for the first bit at least, i can almost guarantee that they're getting, i don't know that margot/alana is "implied", i project onto uhhh, i wouldn't necessarily say that 'everyone's friends' but, i wrote almost three pages about washing a dog, i'm emotionally attached to team sassy science okay, in which everyone is (mostly) happy, most of the characters in this actually!, so maybe this is titled after a britney spears song, so much as it is vaguely referenced, some probably get along better than in canon, sorry brian you get to get my lack of impulse control, the dogs are the only ones i care about, they're all roughly in college, this is an au i've been thinking about because i think it'd be fun, which really tells you where my priorities lie i think, will saves another dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:21:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26502046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincesjester/pseuds/theprincesjester
Summary: "There were a number of things that Will Graham expected to find upon returning back to the house he and a few friends were sharing—the group of them had found that it was easier and more convenient to split the cost, and have a bigger living space, where they could find someone who’s company they generally enjoyed if they needed it—so he really wasn’t too sure why he was as surprised as he was to find that they had all decided to have a famed Not-Party."Will saves another dog.I don't even know where this is going yet.Everything is beautiful and nothing hurts. Except for, you know, the things that do.
Relationships: Alana Bloom & Will Graham, Alana Bloom/Margot Verger (implied), Beverly Katz & Jimmy Price & Brian Zeller, Will Graham & Beverly Katz, Will Graham & Will Graham's Dogs
Series: If you'll be my bodyguard, I can be your long lost pal [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1929148
Kudos: 13





	Oops!...I Did It Again

**Author's Note:**

> i had a vague idea while avoiding homework and having a crisis on the floor, so... here you go? (and then i tried to launch myself over the counter and onto the couch. i’m fine, but that helped spur this first part into existence)  
> also, shoutout to my younger brother for naming will's new puppy. i'm almost positive he named her after a doctor who character

There were a number of things that Will Graham expected to find upon returning back to the house he and a few friends were sharing—the group of them had found that it was easier and more convenient to split the cost, and have a bigger living space, where they could find someone who’s company they generally enjoyed if they needed it—so he really wasn’t too sure why he was as surprised as he was to find that they had all decided to have a famed Not-Party. They were called that because no one outside the house was usually involved (except that sometimes Beverly invited two of her closest friends, and Alana had taken to inviting a friend or two too, and Will would sometimes suggest they let one person or other come). 

So really, he figured that maybe it was his own fault for not expecting to come home to Brian (one of Beverly’s friends; some thought of them as a single central three-part unit. Jimmy, the oldest, had tried to find a series of triads to compare the three to, but none of them liked the thought of being called a “three-ringed circus”, and Cerberus hadn’t quite stuck) trying to vault himself over one of their counters and going over the couch, some music almost blaring from a set of cheap speakers as he almost face planted to the floor. He figured he should probably be used to quite a bit, really, all things considered. 

“Will! Hi!” Beverly waved from where she was seated on the floor, a cup in hand as she watched Brian catch himself in a bizarre not-quite-handstand, trying to avoid whacking his head against anything as he came down. Jimmy’s face goes from concerned, ready to lurch forward to knock his friend over in the hopes that it would help prevent him from hitting his head on something sharp, to amused. 

Will sighs. “I hope you don’t mind that I—” he’s cut off by the yapping of the small dog—a puppy—behind his legs. Brian and Jimmy both sit up quickly. 

“You owe me twenty,” Jimmy holds a hand out to Brian. 

Brian groans. “C’mon, it was only fifteen. And you said it would be a dog, that’s clearly a puppy,” 

“It was twenty,” Beverly corrects. 

“And that’s a technicality,” Jimmy adds. “Puppies are just baby dogs,” 

Will shrugs, deciding to not get too involved. “I’m going to give her a bath, if that’s alright,” 

Beverly nods. “Okay, good luck! I’ll stay with dumb and dumber—“

“Hey!” Jimmy and Brian both scramble to defend themselves, even as Brian situates himself so he’s hanging off the couch upside-down. 

“If you behave enough, maybe you can help name her,” Will decides, hoping that it’ll make the job easier for Beverly. 

As though she didn’t find their shenanigans amusing herself. 

As though they all didn’t know that he probably already had a name chosen. 

Will walks to the bathroom, the dog following before realising where they’re going, and then she tucks her tail between her legs and sits on the ground. Will sighs before picking her up, shaking his head and smiling as Brian picks another song. It’s upbeat and it doesn’t take him long to recognise it as Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire. Then—

“Well, actually, we kind of did,” Jimmy interrupts the song, and he’s frowning. Beverly grins, shaking her head. 

“We may have had a hand in some things, as a species, but… oh god. Yeah. You _did_ start that fire,” 

Will’s head snaps up quickly, the puppy secure in his arms as he looks at the group in the room. Brian’s dropping a piece of paper into a candle. 

Will sighs. 

“I won’t let them burn the house down while you bathe your puppy,” Beverly encourages him to go to bathe the dog. He nods and continues on his way, gently setting the puppy into the tub and turning the water on. 

Will’s careful to make sure it’s warm, and gets the softer and much gentler soap out as he takes a washcloth to rinse some of the mud off of her. 

She begins to whimper as the water continues to rise, and then she starts to shake. Will turns the water off at that point, hoping it’ll calm her down, but his split second of letting her go only enables her to jump over the side of the tub and into the floor. She looks up at him, sad, almost as though she’s trying to plead with him to not bathe her. 

“You need a bath,” he tries to reason with her. She only tilts her head before sitting, as if saying that she wasn’t going to let him get her up. “Please?” he starts to rub behind her ear, and the puppy slowly begins to relax. He tugs her close and picks her up, putting her back down into the water. 

“Are you okay in there?” It’s Alana. Will relaxes, a little relieved—she should be able to help him, as long as she’s up for it. 

“Yeah,” he almost calls back. “The door’s unlocked, I’m bathing a dog, if you want to come in,” 

Evidently, Alana wants to help with the dog, because she comes in with a bigger towel—softer, Will notices—and two cups. “Bev told me you were trying to take in another stray,” she’s gently teasing him and he knows it. He nods. 

“I did. Uh… I am. Thank you,” he doesn’t meet her eyes as he accepts the cup she offers him, pushing it under the water and pulling it back up. It’s filled to the brim with water that he carefully pours over the new puppy, watching as the water gets muddier and her fur gets just a fraction cleaner. He can sense her getting closer, can see her kneeling in front of the tub out of the corner of his eye. 

“Do you have any name ideas yet?” she asks the question quietly, as though attempting to not break something, as she takes a cup and starts pouring water over the puppy. Will shrugs, the action a little jerky as he does similarly. He grabs a washcloth and puts soap on it, then rubs it on the puppy’s fur. 

“Rose?” He says it like a question. 

“I’d say she seems to like that, but…” Alana just barely nudges him, a small smile gracing her features. “She doesn’t seem to be enjoying this at all,” 

Will frowns and nods in agreement. “She doesn’t,” he admits. “I’m hoping she reacts to meeting the others better than she does this,” 

“I’m sure she will,” Alana tries to reassure him, and it almost works. Will scrubs Rose’s fur more, watching as the washcloth gets coated in mud, then drops it down into the tub to let the dirt get soaked out. 

“How’s Margot?” he eventually gets out. Alana’s smile widens a little as she turns to look at him. 

“She’s been doing alright, she said that she’s going to try to come over when she can. She’d love to meet the dogs,” 

Will only nods, trying to find the right words as he stares into the dirty water. He uses his fingers to try to get the mud off of the washcloth before bringing it back to Rose’s fur and scrubbing gently. 

“Where did you find her?” Alana asks, sensing his uncertainty. 

“Uh. I was walking and she just… came up to me,” he admits. 

“I’m glad you found her, then. Or, rather, that she found you, she seems sweet,” she smiles down at the dog, nodding. “Aren’t you?” she asks Rose, who’s stopped shaking. Rose rests her head on the side of the tub and looks up at Alana, nosing her hand. 

“I’ll take that as a ‘probably’,” Will’s smile is small, but there, and stops for a moment to scratch behind Rose’s ear again. 

Eventually, the two manage to get the dog clean. She ends up having mostly pale fur with dark spots, and she’s more than happy to be wrapped up in a warm towel and be dry as Will and Alana take turns holding her while drying her off. They’re still in the bathroom, sitting on the floor, and Rose tries to wiggle around as she gets dryer (and warmer). 

“Do you think we should let her out now?” Alana asks after Rose escapes from the towel for the second time, pacing around the small bathroom. Will nods in agreement, leaning forward to scratch Rose’s back. He stretches before pulling himself up, opening the door and watching as Rose scampers off and into the living room. He turns around to see Alana has stood as well, and ducks his head in an almost-nod before exiting the bathroom and following the dog. He grins when he sees she’s sniffing the couch, laying next to Beverly. 

Jimmy and Brian have already passed out on the other couch, one on each end. Alana shakes her head when she sees. 

“I may have drugged them,” Beverly admits. 

“Melatonin is a godsend,” Alana agrees. 

Will sits on the couch, on the other side of Rose, and pets her head. “Should we try to carry them…?” 

“Nah, they’ll be fine,” Beverly waves the question off. “We can get them a blanket if it gets cold, but the couch is comfortable enough,” 

“Do you want me to let the others in?” Alana directs the question to Will, who shrugs. 

“I think most of them are already inside, unless someone else let them out,” 

“I did, earlier, they’re in the back,” Beverly raises a single hand, petting Rose with the other. “They looked like they wanted to go out,” 

“That’s alright,” Will nods this time, almost nervously petting one of Rose’s ears as he speaks. “I can go let them in,” and then he stands, going to the back door so that he can let the handful of dogs they already have back inside. They’re all rescues; Alana found one that had been dubbed “Applesauce”, while Will had found most of the others. 

Once the door opens, the dogs all scamper in, almost climbing on top of each other in their excitement. It’s Winston that stops and stands by Will, waiting until he starts walking to the living room to follow. 

“Everyone, Rose, Rose, everyone,” Will quickly introduces them, sitting back on the couch and scratching Winston’s back when he sits on the couch by him. 

The trio watch the dogs for a while, petting them when they go to someone, before Alana stands. 

“It’s getting late, and I still have an essay I need to finish, so I think I’m going to go ahead and go to bed now,” she decides, kneeling to pet Applesauce again. Applesauce perks up when Alana does so. 

“Alright, sleep well,” Beverly nods, not pausing from petting Buster. Will nods in agreement. 

“See you tomorrow,” he doesn’t look up from where he’s rubbing both Rose and Winston’s bellies. “I have an appointment tomorrow, so I should probably start getting ready for bed too,” 

“I think Jack is coming over tomorrow,” Beverly adds. Jack was a former student that the group had gotten to know when he had still been in college; he had already graduated, but still kept in contact with most of the group. 

Will and Alana both nod in acknowledgement. 

“Is he still going to Italy?” Alana asks as Will stands, most of the dogs perking up and getting ready to follow him to bed. 

“Last I heard he was still going,” Beverly answers, leaning back on the couch and swinging her legs up so she’s laying on it. 

Will wakes up the next morning surrounded by dogs and sweating. He tries to regulate his breathing as he mentally reviews the bizarre dream he’s awoken from. He’d count it as another nightmare, except that he’s not even sure what it really consisted of, and he’s not sure how much longer he wants to dwell on it. 

When he finally manages to get the energy to get out of bed, he changes quickly and decides to just wear his glasses. When he makes it to the living room Brian and Jimmy are both still asleep on the couch, cuddling each other’s legs. 

He goes to make coffee for the morning, making sure to leave enough for the others. 

Alana wakes up first, and he’s just sitting down to start drinking his coffee when she walks into the living room, already dressed for the day. He’s almost positive that she’s been up for longer. 

“You made coffee,” she notices as she goes into the kitchen, pouring herself some before getting some cereal and sitting at the counter near Will. Will nods, looking down into his cup.

“Should we wake them up?” 

“Nah,” Beverly yawns, stretching as she walks in. She’s still wearing sweatpants and a loose t-shirt--probably just woke up, Will thinks. “They’ll wake up on their own, and it’ll be fine,” she decides, walking towards the coffee pot and pouring herself some. She leans on the opposite side of the counter, not sitting. 

The three drink their coffee in near-silence, Will petting Winston’s belly with his foot. 

“I’ll be back later,” he stands and carries the coffee mug to the sink as he speaks, rinsing it. 

“Drive safe, good luck,” Beverly pours herself some more coffee, yawning. 

“I hope it goes well,” Alana adds. 

Will nods, going to the door and trying to keep the dogs in while he leaves.


End file.
